


his name brings spring time

by bcllamyblaake



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Idol Verse, M/M, because we all need more canon compliant jicheol fics mhehehehe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 00:54:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16230833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcllamyblaake/pseuds/bcllamyblaake
Summary: It was the way his tongue curled around the vowels a tad bit too sweetly, tone laced with honey and eyes glinting with mischief. Seungcheol knew there was very little he could do when it came to Jihoon using this particular tactic.ORThe 5 times Jihoon called Seungcheol ‘Cheollie’ to get his way and the 1 time it didn’t work…





	his name brings spring time

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first Jicheol fic hihihi. It's october so it's officially Jicheol month, and I thought I'd contribute to the content. I hope you guys enjoy this!

**i**

 

They’ve known each other for about a year now. Seungcheol and Jihoon are, so far, the only trainees that seem to stick around. They get a couple more people every now and again, but Jihoon isn’t too convinced. If they wanted to succeed, it would take a thousand times more than what they were producing thus far and then some for them to even have a decent chance at debuting. He thinks, maybe that’s why people don’t stay. He can’t seem to blame them though. They spend most of their days in a basement type studio with gaudy green walls and dinky sound equipment, training for hours on end with little hope for debut. ‘A pipe dream’ Seungcheol would say jokingly as they huddled together by the mirrors, the fluorescent lights of their training room glinting against the hardwood floors damp with their sweat.

Jihoon understands that it’s a pipe dream, but it’s a dream all the same. The dream to stand in front of thousands of people and sing like there’s no tomorrow. _Bliss._

“Hoonie, you okay?” Jihoon blinks in response, snapping out of his apparent stupor. The lights were now dim and it seems the only people left in the studio were him and Seungcheol. _Typical._ “Jihoon?” Seungcheol tries again and Jihoon has to nod because if he doesn’t say anything, he knows Seungcheol would just get worried, and that was never a good thing. “Yeah, I was just… finishing up some lyrics.” Jihoon says, closing up his notebook and shoving it back into his backpack. He hopes one day he’ll scrape up enough of his savings for a laptop, but he has to focus on one goal at a time. Seungcheol nods his head in understanding before slinging his arm around Jihoon’s shoulder, ushering him out the studio with a sigh. “Yah, Lee Jihoon. You work too much.” Seungcheol lets out another loud exhale before running a hand over his face tiredly. Jihoon watches as the older contemplates on something before turning to meet his gaze.

“I had dance practice today.” He starts and Jihoon nods his head. Dance practice was something that he and Seungcheol talked about often. Personally, Jihoon loved dance practice. He hadn’t been sure at first, but the skill seemed to just come naturally to him. Seungcheol, on the other hand, didn’t seem to share the same sentiment. Jihoon watched as the older fumbled with the choreography, limbs moving awkwardly to the music. He knew that Seungcheol was growing frustrated and it worried him that it might be getting to him. He was right.

“It’s really not for me, Hoonie… I don’t… I don’t know if I can do this anymore.” Seungcheol finally huffs out and Jihoon’s blood runs cold. Seungcheol keeps his eyes on the pavement as the two walk under the city’s street lamps. “I’m lacking in so much. I’m not the best dancer, I’m not the best singer, I don’t even think I’m the best rapper anymore so…” _They got a new kid. His name’s Vernon and he raps in both korean and english._ Jihoon tries to swallow down the lump in his throat as Seungcheol opens his mouth to continue. “I just don’t think this is for me…” He finishes and Jihoon stops, feet frozen as he looks at Seungcheol with narrowed eyes.

“So… you’re just going to leave me?” He asks, and he’s surprised by the firmness of his voice (what with the obvious trembling in both his knees and his hands). “You’re going to leave me alone, is that it?” Seungcheol stands quiet as Jihoon sniffs a bit because god dammit, this is not how it’s supposed to go. “I’m not like you, Jihoon. You’re meant for this.” Seungcheol tries, but Jihoon just shakes his head. Before either of them can react, Jihoon reaches out and grabs at the lapels of Seungcheol’s coat meekly, head bowed in the hopes of hiding his already red face.

“ _Cheollie…_ ”

It’s the first time he’s called him that, and to be honest, he’s not even sure he’s allowed to do so. The name curls around his tongue awkwardly, and his ears are tipped a bright pink. “Cheollie, please… just stay.” He tries again, and the silence is ringing in his ears. They stand there for what seems like forever before he feels a hand grip at his wrist. Jihoon looks up, only to find Seungcheol smiling at him with a fondness that makes his breathing hitch. “You’re so cute, Jihoonie.” The asshole says and Jihoon grits his teeth, snatching his wrist back as Seungcheol chuckles softly. “God, Jihoon, if you put it that way…” Seungcheol sighs and Jihoon can’t help but have his shoulders slump in relief as he watches Seungcheol stretch his arms high above his head, whining childishly in a show of frustration. “I guess I’ll just be that one member that can’t dance for shit.” Seungcheol says in exasperated defeat and Jihoon laughs because his hyung can be a really big baby sometimes. He reaches out again, but this time, he finds Seungcheol’s hand. Seungcheol turns to him with a raised brow and Jihoon’s smile grows bigger.

“Hyung, let’s get through this together, okay?”

Seungcheol looks at their intertwined hands for a second before meeting Jihoon’s gaze. At that moment, under the soft lights of Seoul’s street lamps… It felt like they were invincible.

**ii.**

Seungcheol’s teasing him and Jihoon hates him for it. They’re promoting for their very first comeback (their title song is called _Mansae,_ and to be honest, Jihoon is really fucking proud of it) and Choi Seungcheol is going overboard. So yes, Jihoon admits that he has a huge, fat crush on his best friend, and he’s pretty sure anyone with eyes knows about it, so when he sees Seungcheol draping himself all over Jeonghan during their fanmeets, he gets a little bit antsy. “It’s fanservice, my precious Jihoon, don’t worry,” Jeonghan coos as Jihoon corners him one day in the hopes of clearing things up. “ _I_ know that. _Seungcheol_ knows that. You have nothing to worry about.” Jeonghan says with a finality that Jihoon can’t seem to argue with. He nods his head in what he hopes is acquiesce, only to puff out his cheeks as Jeonghan coos once more in fondness.

“So, have you told Seungcheol yet?” The older asks as they both sit down in one of their waiting rooms. They were holding a mini fan meeting in some auditorium Jihoon forgot the name of and they were already half way through. He could hear the crowd outside and his lips lift slightly at the sound of Seungkwan and Soonyoung MCing. He turns back to Jeonghan and finds the older looking at him with a smug grin.

“You’d think he’d just… figure it out.” Jihoon mutters in frustration because honestly, his feelings for their leader are plain as fucking day... Atleast to the rest of the members they are. Jeonghan hums in understanding before shaking his head. “Our leader isn’t the brightest bulb in the world when it comes to these things, I’m afraid.”Jihoon kind of wanted that to be true, but he was pretty sure Seungcheol knew of his feelings too. It was the little things that tipped him off, really. Like when Seungcheol would hold his hand underneath tables, or when he’d drape his hoodie over Jihoon when he falls asleep in the studio. The little things. “We don’t give him enough credit.” Jihoon replies, and like clockwork, Seungcheol catches his gaze from across the room. He flashes both Jeonghan and Jihoon a wolfish grin before throwing Jihoon a playful wink that honestly, does terrible things to his heart. “Hmm… perhaps you’re right.” Jeonghan teases and Jihoon hates the world at that very moment.

So Seungcheol _does_ know. That prick.

“Woozi-ssi, S.Coups-ssi, _Good Morning_ is coming up.” one of their production assistants calls out and Jihoon lets out a sigh because them performing together really isn’t helping his case. He pushes himself off of the sofa he and Jeonghan were occupying and throws his hyung a pleading glance. “Knock ‘em dead, Hoonie!” Jeonghan says in response and Seungcheol whines from across the room. “What about me, Han?” Jeonghan waves a hand at their leader, yelling a flippant ‘meh, you too.’ that has the whole waiting room laughing. Seungcheol pouts before catching Jihoon around the shoulders as the two are led towards the stage behind thick red velvet curtains that separate them from the audience.

It’s just them two now and Jihoon finds himself growing nervous. He wasn’t sure if it was the crowd or the fact that Seungcheol’s arm was still around him. Maybe it was the soft smile that graced Seungcheol’s lips as Jihoon fidgeted with his hands.

“So will I say it first or will you?” Seungcheol whispers in his ear and Jihoon wants to punch him.

He really wants to punch him.

“Hyung, we’re about to perform.” He hisses and Seungcheol just chuckles because that’s the kind of person he is. God damnit, Jihoon is so far gone, that he finds it attractive.

“Answer the question, Hoonie.” Seungcheol says in a sing-song tone and Jihoon’s pretty sure he’s bright red. There’s a pregnant pause before Jihoon bows his head. 

 _“Can you please say it first, Cheollie?”_ His voice sounds small and his neck is hot, and he didn’t realize he was closing his eyes ‘til the moment he found himself opening them, looking up to find a smirking Seungcheol, eyes dark and head tilted to the side. “I like you, Lee Jihoon.” Seungcheol says and Jihoon flushes because _wow_ he didn’t think he’d actually say it.

“I-I like you too, hyung.” He manages and Seungcheol laughs because they couldn’t have picked a _worse_ time. He grabs his hand and pulls him out onto the stage, in front of hundreds of screaming fans and Jihoon’s heart is still in his throat. His mind is still so fuzzy that the talking ‘ment goes by fast. So fast that he only snaps out of it when it’s just Seungcheol and him on stage, the upbeat tune of Verbal Jint’s song playing over the sound system. Seungcheol flashes him a reassuring smile, a smile that Jihoon’s seen countless times before, yet it glimmered with something brand new.

 

_Good morning - that’s what I texted you._

_I think I’m into you… it’s dangerous._

 

It wasn’t perfect, but that performance was definitely one for the books.

 

**iii.**

 

They fight a lot because it’s inevitable. Things are different, and they both understand that things are going to continue to change at the rate that their group is growing. It’s both a blessing and a curse, but their growth as idols was something they definitely don’t want to stop. “We’re not trainees anymore, hyung. We have responsibilities. I’m not the same person I was when you met me.” Jihoon says through gritted teeth and Seungcheol has to steel himself because Jihoon’s… Jihoon’s right. He’s not the same person either. The industry has sharpened some of their edges and roughened their exterior to the point that their younger selves were almost unrecognizable. Gone were the days of long walks out during cold Seoul nights and soft giggles under blanket forts. Jihoon glares pointedly at Seungcheol from his place in front of his computer and Seungcheol has to swallow the lump that forms in his throat. “Is that all you have to say, Jihoon? I’m trying to talk to you but all you seem to do is give me some _bullshit_ excuse about how we’ve changed.” Seungcheol spits out and Jihoon’s eyes narrow even further.

They’re stressed. They’re tired. They need sleep. Their eyes are heavy with both exhaustion and fear for their relationship that it just translates into frustrated anger towards each other. Both of them kind of know that, but at the same time, they’re both too proud to admit that all they need right now is each other.

“God _fucking_ damnit, Seungcheol. Do you hear yourself right now? _This_ is what I’ve been telling you for _so_ long. I need some space here! We don’t all have the luxury of _talking_ about our feelings. I’m _busy,_ I’m _tired_ , and what **I** need to do now is finish this fucking song so that **we** can live our fucking dream. Or have you forgotten, _leader_?” Jihoon’s words are like ice shards that pin Seungcheol to the ground. They’re breathing heavily and Seungcheol feels about two inches tall. Again, Jihoon’s right. It’s been a long-standing insecurity of Seungcheol’s that despite his position as leader, he still feels he’s not carrying as much weight as Jihoon, or even Soonyoung for that matter, and now, Jihoon’s implications validate these insecurities.

Jihoon’s working towards their dream, and what is he doing? Whining like some lovesick boyfriend (which he totally was, but that’s not the point). They look at each other in silence, the aggression on Seungcheol’s face morphing into an expression of defeat as Jihoon spares him one last glance before turning back to his computer, the clicks of Jihoon’s keyboard filling the silence of the room. Seungcheol takes that as his cue to leave.

He contemplates saying something, _anything_ , but Jihoon was no longer listening. Seungcheol lets out a shuddered sigh before walking out of their studio and out the building, walking under the city street lamps alone (he cries a bit, but no one has to know that).

 

-

 

Jihoon feels his shoulders slump as the door of his studio clicks quietly closed. He had gone too far, he knows that. He tries to shake the memory of Seungcheol’s face out of his mind, but his boyfriend’s dark, sad eyes kept coming back, making Jihoon’s heart feel even heavier with regret. An hour passes, and Jihoon still hasn’t made any progress on the song, though it came as no surprise to him seeing as how all he could do was think about the sharp words he had said and the pained expression on Seungcheol’s face.  

_He was an asshole._

He shrugs on his (Seungcheol’s) jacket, (they’ve reached that point where their clothes are so deeply entangled in each other’s closets that it doesn’t really matter) and turns off his computer, trudging out of his studio and towards the building’s exit, hoping beyond hope that he hadn’t mucked everything up.

This past year was a whirlwind for all of them. They had all gone through so much, and their success hit Jihoon like a firetruck to the face. He felt himself get more distant, a bit more sensitive to everything and Seungcheol… Seungcheol was still amazing. He seemed to handle everything with the grace a leader should have, and then some. Maybe he was jealous… He was jealous of how Seungcheol could seamlessly navigate their group through all the hurdles they needed to overcome, how Seungcheol doted on each and every one of them when times got rough, how, despite the stress and exhaustion that came with their quickly climbing success, Seungcheol still managed to make Jihoon feel so loved and _wanted._

Yeah, Jihoon was definitely the worst.

He reaches their dorm in about 15 minutes (its take a bit longer than usual because his feet feel like lead and his heart feels like copper). The halls are dark and no one seems to be up. He toes off his shoes and pads down their small dorm, careful to avoid the wooden panels that creek and the spots that go _bump_. It takes him another 15 minutes to wash up, and instantly he feels better, as if the suds had rinsed away the grouchiness he’s been carrying for about two days now. He bypasses his room and makes his way to their manager’s old room, a small closet like space that had one single bed barely big enough for Seungcheol himself. Jihoon’s heart clenches at the sight of his boyfriend’s sleeping frame… He didn’t deserve him. He took a deep breath before moving to fit himself beside Seungcheol, squeezing his much smaller frame onto the already very cramped bed. Seungcheol grunts in semi-consciousness and Jihoon’s cheeks flush because this is really embarrassing, but really fucking necessary.

“Jihoon?” Seungcheol murmurs, still very much half asleep. Jihoon nods his head quietly as he waits for the older to wake up a bit more. Seungcheol’s arm automatically goes around Jihoon’s waist and again, Jihoon feels like he really doesn’t deserve him. He, however, is selfish, and fits himself even more so against Seungcheol’s body. “What time is it?” Seungcheol asks, voice gravelly and thick with sleep (Jihoon’s ashamed to admit that he’s turned on by it, because now really isn’t the time). “It’s almost 4.” Jihoon whispers back and Seungcheol sighs, cracking both his eyes open so they’re staring back at Jihoon.  

“I’m sorry.” Jihoon says and he can’t help but have his voice crack at the end because he’s _really_ sorry about their fight and he doesn’t want Seungcheol to be mad at him. His hands move to cover his face in shame, but Seungcheol stops him, holding his wrists close to his chest. Jihoon feels really warm, and he unconsciously tangles their legs together because for the past thirty minutes, he was so scared that he would lose Seungcheol because of this stupid fight, and he wants to remind himself that he’s still _here._ “I’m sorry for yelling at you awhile ago. You didn’t deserve it and I… I just…” _I’m tired, and I’m scared, and I just want things to stop changing because I don’t want to lose you._ Seungcheol continues to look at him and Jihoon feels tears well up in his eyes. “When was the last time you slept, Jihoon?” Seungcheol asks in response and Jihoon’s mind is now just a mess of emotions. He can’t seem to process the question all that well because it takes him a while to figure out when _was_ the last time he actually slept for more than thirty minutes. Seungcheol seems to understand this because he just sighs and pulls him closer, cupping the back of Jihoon’s head and inhaling deeply into his hair.

“Go to sleep, Hoon. We’ll talk about it in the morning.” Seungcheol says simply and Jihoon shakes his head because he wants to fix things _now_ , despite the fact that he’s delirious from exhaustion.

“Cheollie… Cheollie you have to forgive me.” Jihoon whines into Seungcheol’s chest and sniffles slightly because it’s the worst kind of apology ever in the history of the world, and its definitely more of a demand than a request, but that’s the only thing Jihoon can come up with at this point in time. Jihoon feels the rumble in Seungcheol’s chest and can’t help the pout forming on his lips as realizes that Seungcheol’s _laughing._ Wow, okay, he totally takes everything back. It’s a short chuckle of disbelief, but it’s a laugh all the same and Jihoon feels particularly petulant.

“Well? Will you accept my apology?” Jihoon looks up at Seungcheol and his heart softens at the small, fond, _exasperated_ smile on Seungcheol’s face. “Yes, Jihoon. I forgive you.” Seungcheol finally responds after a few moments of silence, and Jihoon smiles almost drunkenly because _yay._ His body does an embarrassing little wiggle of victory and Seungcheol chuckles again. “Good. I love you, Cheollie.” It isn’t the first time Jihoon says it and it’s most definitely not the last, but Seungcheol’s heart flutters all the same as he presses a kiss against his boyfriend’s crown. “I love you too, Jihoon.” He says and they both drift off into a dreamless, glorious, thirteen hour sleep.

Gone are the long walks under the soft glow of Seoul’s street-lamps, gone are the soft giggles hidden deep under blanket forts. Things are changing, but things are changing for the better. Street lamps fade into glittering stars of chanting fans and their light sticks, blanket forts morph into grand arenas that they manage to fill to the brim, giggles morph into the crackle of fireworks and screams so loud they can’t hear their own thoughts.

Things are changing, but if there’s one thing they’re certain of, their feelings for each other won’t.

**tbc**

**Author's Note:**

> part 2 will be out soon!


End file.
